


i don't like bullies

by dumbbitchhours



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, M/M, a creepy guy is involved, general depictions of canonical violence, y/n gender is unmentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24911026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumbbitchhours/pseuds/dumbbitchhours
Summary: in which a slightly unhinged earthbender reader goes on a grocery run w zuko
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 129





	i don't like bullies

You were a runaway that had made your way into Ba Sing Se when you met the Gaang. You had befriended Toph one day at the marketplace. Her pale eyes made you question the young girl if she was alright making her way back home on her own and she didn’t hesitate to tell you that she was, in fact, a fearsome earthbender and, oh yeah, seismic sense. You told her you were an earthbender too and that you liked to practice bending glass. You got on well and she happily invited you back to where she was staying with her friends as you were nothing but a mere squatter at this point. Her friends seemed happy to take you in and you learned soon enough who they were and what they were up to.

Having been loyal to the Gaang since Ba Sing Se, you weren’t super eager to hear out Zuko when he found your camp at the Western Air Temple. But he seemed nice enough and appeared to feel genuinely guilty. You had little history with him, however, and it was hard to hold a grudge against someone that betrayed their own family to aid their once-enemy. You slowly began to spend more and more time with the firebender and he was, admittedly, a fun sparring partner. He opened up to you and you related to his anger with his family. It wasn’t long before you two became close. You liked sitting near him during dinner on particularly cold evenings because he was warm and you liked watching him blush.

One day, while you were staying at Ember Island, you and Zuko were tasked with going into town to find some food. The group didn’t have much from their stay at the Western Air Temple and you all quickly burned through whatever you found left in the vacation house that wasn’t completely rotten.

The farmers’ stalls of sweet fruit at the market drew your attention and Zuko told you he was off to find something more to his taste. 

You were happily carrying a basket of fresh berries, mangos, and figs in the direction you saw Zuko walk off in when you heard a panicked shrill over the bustling of the busy area. You stopped in your tracks, your intuition overtaking your thoughts that someone was in danger. You heard it again and ran toward it, passing Zuko as you did so. He attempted to grab you and stop you to ask what was wrong, but you just paused to shove the basket into his arms. He scrambled after you as you picked up speed upon hearing the scream again.

Soon, you were at the edges of the market where few people were loitering about and some drinking in the outdoor seating of a tavern. You spotted what you were looking for.

A large man had cornered someone against the bricks of the tavern.

“Y/N! What is going on?” You heard Zuko hiss from behind you.

You put up your hand in response to quiet him.

“Come on, just come have a drink with me.” The large man leered.  
“No!” The woman shrieked again as he tried to touch her. “I am trying to go home!”

“If you don’t quit screaming, I’ll give you something to scream about.” He growled.

You fumed.

You walked up to the man as Zuko hissed warnings at you.

You shoved the man’s shoulder back away from the woman. “Leave her alone!” You snarled. Your nostrils flared and your teeth were bared. The man towered above you, but you were furious at the sight, and you weren’t going to let a bully get away with his abuse, no matter how big.

“And what are you gonna do about it?” The man smirked down at you. “Do you wanna have a drink with me instead?” He reached down to grab the collar of your shirt, but before he could, you lifted your heel and slammed it down into the ground as Zuko called out.

The ground around the man sunk beneath him rapidly as he shrieked and only stopped at his throat. You heard the other men stand up and move toward you and you threw out your fist, shattering glasses and windows, and pointed two fingers to bring the sharp pieces to their throats.

You knelt before the poor soul you partially buried. “I said, leave her alone.” You muttered through gritted teeth. 

“What have you done? You’ll be arrested for this!” He yelled indignantly.

“I don’t think I will.”

The man looked around. Witnesses still had glass to their throats. Zuko was poised beside you should he need to fight. “What are you cowards doing?!” The man yelled, “Go get help!”

You pushed the glass slightly into the skin of their throats and glared at them from your position on your knee. They dared not move a muscle.

The man beneath spit on your face out of frustration. You slowly turned back to him to wipe your cheek with your free hand. “I eat men like you for breakfast.” You bristled. You took your free hand into a fist and squeezed the ground around him until he cried out.

Zuko began to worry you were going to start drawing too much attention. “C’mon! We should go.” He whispered.

You stood up to face the men you held by their necks. “Think twice about harassing a woman again.” You snarled. “They might not be as helpless as you think.” You threw down your arm, the glass following the motion and stabbing into the dirt. Zuko grabbed your arm and tugged.

The men were too stunned to rush you as you left, but the two of you still hurried along, Zuko thankfully picking up your basket. You had forgotten about it.

Once you determined you were a safe distance away, you slowed down and the ground beneath you began to rumble. Zuko looked at you to see you were still upset, fists clenched at your sides and face scrunched up in anger.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly.

“I don’t like bullies.” You muttered quietly.

You felt Zuko’s hand begin to rub circles on your back. You started to loosen up and leaned into his side.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that angry before.” He said.

“Hopefully you won’t have to again.” You answered solemnly. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” his arm wrapped around your shoulders, “I get it. I don’t like bullies either.”

The two of you made your way back to the summer house without any further confrontations.

**Author's Note:**

> ayyye ty for reading my lil one-shot! comment zuko requests pls there needs to b more zuko x reader content  
> ps i can do female or gender neutral reader


End file.
